Forums focus on trout stream management
BALLS TONS PA, N. Y .» The state Department of Environmental Conservation is conducting a serious of meetings to present an overview of the state’s ongoing approach to trout stream management and invite feedback from anglers about their expectations, experiences and preferences for improving trout stream management and the fishing experience in general.
A public forum took place recently at the Saratoga County 4- H Center, the first of 16meetings taking place across the state. DEC officials said the purpose of the meetings is to make people aware of results of a three- year statewide study and to determine what existing strategies used by DEC could be improved, changed or even discarded.
According to DEC bureau chief Steve Hurst, officials devised the existing trout stream management strategy more than 30 years ago.
“We thought itwas time to take a look at how the strategies are working,” he explained. “It’s thefirst step in a long process. We will be looking for common threads from the public about howwe can do better.”
Fred Henson, Region 5 leader for the DEC’s Cold Water Fisheries unit, gave a 30- minute presentation at the Ballston Spa forum, touching upon issues such as stream quality, harvesting rates, natural fish mortality rates, stream stocking and catch rates. He pointed out that since the initial creation and implementation of the DEC trout stream management plan, many things have changed that have affected the environment and anglers.
“Our goal has been to achieve an average catch rate of one trout per every two hours of fishing,” Henson said.
The DEC looks at such things as the chemical fertility of streams, their “carrying” capacit— the number of fish that can safely be accommodated in the streams — and the physical habitat, which also includes competition from other fish species.
Henson also talked about key influencers that have dramatically changed trout streams, including changes in climate and weather patterns, the changing habits of anglers, natural predation, water quality and changes in the surrounding environment.
Results of a three- year study revealed higher natural mortality rates, which Henson said could be the result of several factors and gives the DEC an opportunity to evaluate the best ways to effectively control influences that negatively impact the environment.
Following the presentation, Henson opened the meeting to discussion and comments. Issues raised included frustration with stream stocking and fishermen taking more than they are allowed to by law, as well as fish type and size preferences, with some anglers wanting larger fish for harvesting and consuming and others preferring smaller, catch- and- release fish.
The DEC will follow up by sending surveys to all who attended the meeting, compiling comments and concerns fromall 16meetings to determine what anglers are looking for in their fishing experiences and how best to balance the needs of the fisher men with protection of important regional habitats.